Dark Apprentice
"There is no doubt. This is the one. Stable where the others fail, perfectly in control. I can hardly contain myself. It seems I may after all be allowed to return to my family. I look on him as a sort of salvation. I am not the only one. He has attracted significant attention…" ―Entry 51 from the Lead Cloning Technician's log on the Dark Apprentice's progress The "Dark Apprentice," also known as "Starkiller," was a clone of Galen Marek, a Force-sensitive Human male taken on by the Sith Lord Darth Vader as his secret apprentice. Following Marek's death, Vader embarked on a quest to create a perfect, obedient duplicate of the man to take Marek's place. Within the cloning facilities of Kamino, hundreds of failures were produced before the Dark Lord of the Sith succeeded in creating a clone of the deceased apprentice that was able to overcome his template's emotions and submit himself entirely to the dark side of the Force. As his training progressed, the Dark Apprentice surpassed all those who had come before him; he was able to store Marek's memories independent from his own and suppress the dead man's feelings. Vader planned to have the apprentice face a final test against a rogue clone of Marek during the Rebel attack on Kamino, and the Dark Apprentice fulfilled his challenge as he killed the renegade clone, Jedi General Rahm Kota, PROXY, and several Rebel troopers without hesitation or remorse. With his test completed, the perfect clone set out in the galaxy to do Vader's bidding. Biography Birth and rise to perfection "You were cast from the mold of a dead man. You have inherited his skills, but also his weaknesses." ―Darth Vader Created on the ocean-covered world of Kamino around 1 BBY, the Dark Apprentice was a clone of Galen Marek, the deceased apprentice of the Sith Lord Darth Vader, grown as part of Vader's endeavor to create a perfect and obedient substitute to take Marek's place. Several clones had come before him, all of which had been trained using memory flashes from the original Marek's life. These predecessors had failed to meet expectations in one way or another, either due to genetic defects or succumbing to their template's emotions, and were subsequently discarded. Upon his awakening, presided over by Vader, the Dark Apprentice was confronted with Marek's memories, specifically the man's feelings for his former pilot, Imperial-turned-Rebel Captain Juno Eclipse. Immediately, he asked about her whereabouts, but Vader announced that she was irrelevant—all that mattered was what needed to be done. This, however, did not prevent the Dark Apprentice from inquiring about who Marek was in the future. When questioned, Vader repeatedly found it unnecessary to answer directly—rather, he stated the clone had inherited the memories, thoughts and dreams of a broken man, one far less powerful than the Dark Apprentice. As a side effect of the cloning process, he possessed both the skills and weaknesses of his genetic template. The Dark Apprentice was trained in lightsaber combat against several Sith Training Droids. After viewing his progress, Vader showed him the cloning platforms in Timira City's clone spire, which displayed all of his rejected brethren locked up in stasis. The clone was determined to surpass all the others, but he was curious as to know how many had preceded him. Vader disregarded the question; instead, he told the Dark Apprentice that the only number that mattered was the quantity of clones that would be needed if he failed like the rest. Vader warned him that if he could not overcome Marek's emotions, he would fail like his predecessors. Over time, the lead cloning technician noted that the Dark Apprentice was able to compartmentalize the memory imprints used to train him, thereby succeeding where all others had failed—the clone was able to store Marek's memories independently from his own, freeing him from his template's emotions. With the apprentice free of Marek's memories, Vader brought him to a chamber where his template's lifeless body was kept. The clone understood the significance of the act, and his Master believed that he, unlike all the others before him, would prove successful. In a training match against the holodroids, the Dark Apprentice was able to rise above Marek's emotions, striking down a droid bearing the appearance of Captain Eclipse. To Vader, the clone revealed his disgust and hatred for his template's weaknesses, and his pride for being able to overcome them when those before him had failed. Satisfied, Vader replied that he was almost ready for his final test. The final test "You have faced your final test." "What is thy bidding, my Master?" "Take the Rogue Shadow. Scour the far reaches of the galaxy. Find the last of the Rebels and destroy them." "As you wish." "Then, and only then, will you achieve your destiny." ―Darth Vader and the Dark Apprentice During the final stages of the Dark Apprentice's training, a renegade clone of Marek, who had previously fled Kamino, joined with the Rebel Alliance in an attack on Timira City's cloning facilities. Vader intended to use the battle as a final test for the Dark Apprentice by drawing Starkiller into a trap atop the cloning spire. Before leaving to confront Starkiller, Vader instructed the Dark Apprentice to wait until his assistance was required. The apprentice raised his hood and announced that he was ready to fulfill the purpose of his creation. He used a cloaking device to avoid being detected and reached the spire where his master and clone brother had their duel. Starkiller bested Vader, and was conflicted whether to strike him down or heed General Rahm Kota's advice to take him prisoner. The clone chose to let vengeance consume him, and prepared to deliver the killing blow. The Dark Apprentice took the opportunity to stab his fellow clone in the back with his lightsaber and uncloaked himself with his hood still raised. He proceeded to easily slay Kota in a brief duel and slice PROXY in two as a group of Terror Troopers dealt with the remaining Rebel troopers. Vader approached the dying Starkiller and revealed that he had lied about failing to perfect the accelerated cloning process. At that moment, the Dark Apprentice made his way over to Vader's side and lowers his hood to reveal his identity. He watched as his "brother" looked at the lifeless body of Juno Eclipse before succumbing to his wound and expiring. With the Rebel attack repelled, Vader commended his new assassin for succeeding in his final challenge. The obedient clone knelt before Vader, and was tasked with taking the Rogue Shadow to find and eliminate the surviving Rebels scattered throughout the galaxy. As he departed, the Dark Apprentice took a moment to glance at Juno's corpse; feeling no emotions for her, he raised his hood and continued on his way. Escorted by a group of TIE fighters, the Dark Apprentice left Kamino in the Rogue Shadow and entered hyperspace to fulfill his orders. Thwarting the Rebels' surprise attack on Christophsis "Captain, I'm seeing someone approaching us. Orders?" "From the looks of it, whoever that is doesn't look friendly. Open fire!" ―A Rebel pilot and Captain Utri Lya'Sei, upon seeing the Dark Apprentice When the Rebel Alliance launched an attack on the Imperial-occupied Christophsis, Darth Vader briefed his apprentice via hologram that he ordered Commander Kham Harend and his forces to prepare their defenses and have a squad of AT-ATs and AT-STs push back the invasion. He also mentioned that the commander and his forces were unaware of an impending surprise attack by a squad of Rebels in another section of the planet. The clone was ordered to head down to the surface and foil their plot while laying low from the Imperial defense group, and to kill any Rebel and Imperial in his path. The apprentice landed the Rogue Shadow far from the battle lines to avoid detection from both Rebel and Imperial starfighters. He managed to get closer to the bridge where the fighting ensued. With no such luck finding the Rebel squad, the clone leaped to a crystallized spire to get a better look. From that position, he spotted a lone AT-AT walker at a far distance. Realizing what Vader meant of the Rebels' surprise attack, the Dark Apprentice figured out that the insurgents have occupied an Imperial base and have stolen the walker in order to sabotage Commander Harend's defenses from afar. Without wasting any time, the dark clone immediately headed for the walker's location. He jumped through a shattered window of a tower, where he spotted Imperial snipers shooting at the Rebel marksmen's positions in the upper levels of another tower. The apprentice activated his lightsabers and made short work of the scout troopers, then proceeded to jump to the upper level of the other tower and slew the Rebel snipers as well. Hearing voices above him, he cut through the ceiling, jumped up through the gaping hole, and disintegrated more Rebels with a powerful Force repulse. More soldiers entered the room and prepared their blasters, but a TIE fighter fired shots at the occupied floor of the building as it was passing by. The explosions destroyed the entire floor and consumed everyone except the Dark Apprentice, who dove headfirst and landed on his feet in the middle of a crossfire between Stormtroopers and Rebel soldiers. Both sides didn't have time to react as the clone swiftly decimated them. The Dark Apprentice eventually made it to the position of the AT-AT walker, which was hijacked by the Rebel squad and Utri Lya'Sei, a Bothan captain. Quickly identifying the approaching figure as a threat, Captain Lya'Sei ordered the pilots to focus heavy firepower on their target. With his speed, the clone managed to evade every shot fired from the armored transport. With no such luck of hitting the apprentice, Lya'Sei quickly instructed her squad to get on the speeder bikes and intercept him. However, the clone threw his lightsabers at the Rebels, decapitating and bisecting them. The apprentice finally brought down the walker, thus killing the Bothan captain, including the others that were inside. With the surprise attack foiled, Commander Harend was successful in defending Christophsis from the Rebel invaders; but remained unaware of the clone's existence. Attack on Contri "Once this base is destroyed, it will deliver a heavy blow to the Rebellion. Leave no one alive." "It will be done, my Master." ―Darth Vader and the Dark Apprentice Sometime after the Battle of Yavin, the Dark Apprentice joined his master in destroying a Rebel military base on the planet Contri. Together, he and Vader slaughtered every Rebel that had been stationed there, and they left the base in flames. Vader praised his apprentice and declared that both the Rebellion and his master, Emperor Palpatine, will face their deaths. The Battle of Endor "The Rebels must be stopped before they can destroy the shield generator. Leave no survivors." "Understood, my Master." "There will be no one to stop us this time." "Yes, my Master." ―Darth Vader and the Dark Apprentice In 4 ABY, the Dark Apprentice was ordered by Darth Vader to go to the forest moon of Endor and prevent the Rebels and their Ewok allies from destroying the shield generator bunker so as to prevent any risk of the second Death Star's destruction. In order to preserve the secrecy of his existence, the Sith Lord instructed the clone to leave no survivors in the wake of his destruction, thus including Imperial troopers as targets as well. Upon landing the Rogue Shadow on Endor, the "reborn Starkiller" navigated his way through the forest-wide moon, and killed a group of Rebels that were stationed around the stolen Lambda-class shuttle Tydirium. Inside the shuttle, former Imperial officer Brenn Tantor witnessed the carnage and attempted to contact General Han Solo to warn him, but was too late as the Dark Apprentice used the Force to lift the ship and damaged it, with Tantor dying from the impact. The apprentice continued his journey to the shield bunker and came across an Ewok tree village where a group of Ewoks attempted to stop the assassin. They were, however, no match for his ultimate power, and were slain and punted. The Dark Apprentice killed many more Rebels and Ewoks along the way before finally reaching the back entrance to the shield generator bunker. There, he was confronted by Han Solo and Chewbacca, who was commandeering an AT-ST walker. The duo attempted to stall the clone while Princess Leia Organa and her commandos attempt to destroy the bunker from within. Han and Chewbacca's efforts proved to be futile as the Dark Apprentice easily disabled the walker. After climbing aboard the AT-ST, the clone engaged Chewbacca and easily overpowered the Wookiee. While the Dark Apprentice held Chewbacca by the throat, Solo tried to save his friend by shooting the clone but instead accidentally killed Chewbacca, whom the clone used as a body shield. Solo fired several more shots at the clone, only to watch as they were all effortlessly deflected by the clone's lightsaber. The Dark Apprentice then gripped Solo through the Force and pulled him towards his lightsaber, thus impaling the former smuggler. With both Chewbacca and Solo dead, the clone entered the base to complete his mission. Inside the bunker, the Dark Apprentice arrived in time to see Rebel soldiers engaged in battle with Imperial troopers, who were committed to protecting the shield generator. Obeying Vader's orders to the letter, the clone killed all that stood in his path. He eventually encountered Organa, who retreated further into the bunker while her commandos attempted to buy her the time she needed to destroy the generator. But the Rebels failed and the clone pursued the Rebel princess until he finally encountered her at the core of the base. To his surprise, Organa removed her Rebel gear to reveal her Jedi robes and brandishes a yellow-bladed lightsaber, constructed in the same shape of Obi-Wan Kenobi's. According to Organa, her twin brother's death on Hoth necessitated her training as a Jedi Knight. Organa demonstrated remarkable skills in lightsaber combat and Force techniques while dueling her father's apprentice. Using the Force to enhance her strength, speed and agility, Organa was able to hold her own against the clone for a short while. But even Leia's training was not enough to enable her to overcome the raw power, experience, and superior skills of the Dark Apprentice. Organa, outmatched both physically and in the Force by the clone, tried to use the bunker's defenses to kill her opponent, only for that to fail as well. When the duel moved outside to the top of the bunker, Organa attempted once more to defeat the Dark Apprentice with her lightsaber and Force powers, only to be pushed to the defensive as the clone countered her offense with a relentless assault of his own. The end of the duel came when the Dark Apprentice impaled Organa with his lightsaber, thus killing the last offspring of Anakin Skywalker; and the last hope for the Rebellion. As the Rebel Alliance faced its destruction, the clone sat in meditation while Organa's corpse lay near him. Moments later, a group of Imperial Star Destroyers converged on his location, and the apprentice opened his eyes with no trace of fear in them, as he prepared to deal with the latest threat to his and Vader's plans. Appearances *''Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II'' *''The Dark Lord's Apprentice'' Category:Assassins Category:Characters from The Dark Lord's Apprentice Category:Human clones Category:Jedi hunters Category:Males Category:Sith acolytes and apprentices